Devil Ball Golf

The Shell Houston Open is the one final tournament before the Masters. It offers the last spot in the year's first major -- that is, if the eventual winner isn't already qualified. That makes this tournament fascinating unto itself, but its Masters-inspired setup and strong field are a draw as well.

Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker, fresh off their Valero Texas Open duel, headline the field. Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar are among the big names, too.

However, unlike most weeks, there are no clear cut favorites. With that, here are the best bets for the week at Golf Club of Houston.

1. Jordan Spieth — Spieth is going to be great this week (Masters Lite) and next week (Masters Heavy) because his short game is out of sight. He said this course makes him uncomfortable, but he’s been out of this world this season.

2. Patrick Reed — Patrick Reed doesn’t need a boost of confidence, but GC of Houston could help him feel very good going into a second crack at Augusta National as a pro.

Woods hasn't played on the PGA Tour since withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open on Feb. 6 after 11 holes in the first round, citing back pain. Five days later, Woods released a statement saying he would not play competitive golf again until his game was "tournament ready." Woods skipped The Honda Classic in his hometown of Jupiter, Fla., did not qualify for the WGC-Cadillac Championship and chose not to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament he has won eight times.

Stenson announced his withdrawal via Twitter, also sharing that he won't play a previously scheduled practice round at Augusta National ahead of Houston.

No Augusta practice, No Shell Houston Open due to getting the flu, hope to be up and running next week in Georgia. H

The world No. 2 still intends to play in the Masters.

In his last three PGA Tour starts, Stenson has finished in the top five in them all, including a runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Stenson, who will turn 39 this week, had his best-ever finish at last year's Masters, finishing tied for 14th place.

For the first time since 1996, Tiger Woods is not even in the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Woods checks in at No. 104 in the latest ranking, dropping another eight spots from the week prior. It's his first week outside the top 100 since Sept. 28, 1996 -- the week before Woods' first pro win in Las Vegas.

This should come as no surprise to anyone as Woods has earned just 9.73 world ranking points in the last 15 months. Were it not for the remaining value from tournaments Woods playing in the closing three-fourths of 2013, he would be in the 300s. Simply put: If Woods doesn't play, he doesn't earn points.

So, when will Woods play again? Golf World's Tim Rosaforte reported Monday that Woods has been posting "good scores" at Medalist, Woods' home club in Florida. Rosaforte said several area friends reported Woods has "the edge" back. If Woods truly has found his game again, then expect to see him in the Masters.

Some of the final invites to Augusta National were sealed with Sunday the cut off to crack the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Anirban Lahiri, Paul Casey, Branden Grace and Bernd Wiesberger earned spots in the year's first major by remaining in the top 50.

Kerr won the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic on Sunday at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif., for her first win since the 2013 Kingsmill Championship. The two-time major winner closed with 7-under 65 to win by two shots over Mirim Lee on 20 under par, a new tournament scoring record.

The win is Kerr's 17th and the first by an American-born player on the LPGA Tour dating back Christina Kim at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last November. It's also Kerr's first win since she became a mother to son Mason in December 2013.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko made a Sunday charge, shooting 5-under 67 for her 28th consecutive under-par round on the LPGA Tour, one shy of Annika Sorenstam's record set in 2004. However, Ko came up three shots short of a second win this season.

It took 20 tournaments, but the PGA Tour has its first multiple-time winner in the 2014-15 season, and it's probably a guy you didn't expect -- but should have.

Jimmy Walker won the Valero Texas Open on Sunday by four shots, earning his second win of the year to follow up on a successful title defense at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Walker closed with 2-under 70 at TPC San Antonio's Oaks Course to pick up the win in his hometown. He ended a streak of nine consecutive tournaments where the 54-hole leader or co-leader failed to hoist the trophy on Sunday.

This week, we had an opportunity to interview Arnold Palmer. Over email, Palmer discussed a variety of subjects, including the Masters, Rory McIlroy, his Arnold Palmer Invitational and a health issue he's faced with the help of Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Ryan Ballengee: Given all you've accomplished in your professional life, what are the goals and challenges that motivate you today?

Arnold Palmer: I still enjoy what I do. I haven’t been playing much golf and none since I dislocated my shoulder in December, but I come to the office every day. We have a lot going on right now and we’re working on some exciting projects in our businesses and charities.

Ed. Note: Last week, Palmer's golf-course design company announced plans for its first-ever Scottish course at Castle Stuart.

RB: Did you have a chance to speak with your grandson after his run at the Puerto Rico Open? If so, would you share what you said to Sam?

"The only caution I would give Rory is, I see a lot of pictures of him lifting a lot of very heavy weights and I think, in a way, you can almost hurt yourself in the gym if you get too bulky. Hopefully, he will keep his body tone down, more like a Dustin Johnson (a Harmon client), who’s in absolutely perfect physical shape to play golf."

We at least know one thing about Tiger Woods' schedule: It won't include the Shell Houston Open.

The Friday deadline for players to commit to next week's last tournament before the Masters came and went without Woods joining the field. A rumor, albeit not a strong one, had been started suggesting Woods, seeking some kind of tournament experience before heading down Magnolia Lane, might pick the Houston Open. No dice. After all, Woods has never played in the Houston Open as a pro.